Victoria | Inland Empire Brewing Company

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Ordered at the same time as another ipa, this one looked just as, if not more impressive than the other. That would be the last time that this beer would be better than any other for my week spent in LV/SD/OC.

Aroma was horribly lacking any hop aroma, it was all bittersweet malt aroma for me. Its a bunch of English adjectives that came out, woody, toffee, mild, brown malt???, but definitely not dry hopping.

Taste, eh, this is plenty bitter, but its kind of an obliterating bitter that doesn't yield itself to much in the way of flavors, much less ones you've come to love and expect from southern california breweries. Just not impressed at all here, nothing really adds up to well. Disjointed. And let's not forget about that alcohol burn to top it off and insult your taste buds a little more. Had just this, imperial red malty ale smell and taste that never jived for me, and doesn't sound like something up my alley anyways when I describe it.

It wasn't the worst beer in the world, sure one of its biggest problems that night was that I was drinking tons of other world class brews at a world class location, but for me, it was below average in almost every way, just a coppery bitterness with alcohol that doesn't give me any reason to ever recommend.

Plenty bitter, plenty of heat. Like an even shittier bolt cutter if you will. Didn't really like anything about it. Too much heat, bitterness, not enough sweetness, not enough nuanced touches, its all just hammer bashing bitterness and burn.

Appearance is a brown/orange that looks a lot like very old wine - not terrible just not good.

Nose is overwhelmingly sweet and almost sticky. There is some carmel, toffee and malt and candied orange peel. But, the foregoing descriptors sound better than the actuality. The huge sweet esters hit you over the head.

Mouthfeel is almost impossible to evaluate since the flavor profile and taste is overwhelming...overwelmingly out of balance and almost undrinkable in my opinion.

The flavors are giant bitter/sweet oranges; big malt; big pine resin; burned black toast; charcoal marshmellows and with a finish that is very large dull bitter pine.

However, while it all sounds like it could be nice, the is totally UNintegrated and out of balance. Each flavor is identifiable and stands out, none to be integrated with the other. I can't imagine what you'd eat with this beer and I can't imagine why one would drink it on its own.

I respect and frequently look to womencantsail and others for their reviews and recommendations. Womencantsail and I usually agree, for the most part. This time, "A," we really don't agree.